


Blackbones

by Manuscriptor



Series: Pirate AU [3]
Category: CreamHeroes (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Gen, Pirates, alksdfas just need to get it out of my system, honestly idk why i'm writing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25325875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manuscriptor/pseuds/Manuscriptor
Summary: In the aftermath of DD "Pieces of Eight" Marooner's attack on the Wild Jelly-Bean, Lulu and Lala just barely managed to make it safely to a port town.Another pirate happens to be docked there. TT "Blackbones" Long is a friendly face though, and it's a finally a chance for them all to rest.
Relationships: brief TT/Original Cat Character
Series: Pirate AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1387735
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	Blackbones

TT rolled out of her bed and stretched luxuriously. Her shirt was half-on and half-off, evidence of last night’s escapades within the sheets. She glanced over her shoulder at the figure still under the blankets. She smiled before she could stop herself. 

She had picked the molly up from the streets while she and her crew had drunken themselves stupid last night. The port they were anchored at was a common pirate city, and the chance to be on dry ground was a relief after their long voyages. And TT was always looking for companionship. It had been a great chance to finally relax, but now, TT had a job to do. 

She would let the molly wake up on her own—no need to disturb the young lady so rudely—and she could leave the ship whenever she wanted. TT’s crew knew better than to tease any bedmates she took, and they would politely help them if needed. 

The weather was warm and fair as it always was this time of year in the Indian Ocean, and it allowed TT to forego a jacket in favor of walking out onto the deck in billowy pants and her half-undone shirt. She turned her nose to the gust of wind that greeted her and closed her eyes contentedly. 

“Watch on the main deck!” a voice called, and TT snapped to her senses, ducking just in time as the boom swung around and was secured parallel to the deck.

The ship was already bustling with activity, despite it being so early in the morning. Around half of her crew was loading and unloading goods, exchanging gold and winnings for spices and rare materials, silks and dyes and beads from Asia that could be traded for money at the British ports. They would keep some for themselves and sell the others for exorbitant prices to make a killing before coming back and doing it all again.

TT was called a pirate by the lawmakers and those who hunted her, but she thought of herself more as a businessman. 

And a good one at that. 

But, if any lawmakers did get their paws on her, they wouldn’t share that opinion. She would be hung with the rest of them, left to rot in the sea air as a warning to anyone else who wanted to try their hand at this way of life. But that was if she got caught. TT would never get caught. 

“So, how long are we staying in port, Captain?” came an oh-so-familiar voice.

TT was turning and smiling before she could stop herself. 

Smokes was a lilac Siamese, slim and fit from her work on the ship, but always more than willing to bash an insubordinate over the ears. She was TT’s second-in-command and took her job seriously. TT could leave the ship for a week and come back to find it still up and running and in perfect shape. 

Not that TT left the ship very often. 

“Not very long,” TT said, answering the question. “We need to unload these goods and then I want to head out again. There are whispers of new islands to the east, and I’m eager to see if they have anything worth our time. And money.” 

Smokes laughed and stepped down from her perch on the ropes. “Always chasing the next high, I see.” 

TT rolled her eyes since Smokes smelled like she had been chasing her own high, and so early in the morning? She really was one to talk. TT didn’t take offense to the jabs at her ambition. She knew what she was doing, and since Smokes was on her payroll, she knew better than to complain too much. It was a good morning anyway, and TT wanted to keep it that way. 

Smokes just smirked and pushed off the beam she had been leaning on. “I’ll get the men up and ready,” she said. With a swagger to her step, she walked off, clapping her paws and shouting to rouse the rest of the group after a night of heavy drinking. 

That was the hardest part of the whole deal. 

TT let Smokes get to work and went about her own business instead. 

The clang of a warning bell somewhere else on the dock made her fur stand on end. Usually, it meant law enforcement and nothing good. TT’s crew were already scrambling for the rigging, getting ready to pull anchor and steer out of port as fast as they could if it turned out to be anything dangerous. It would be difficult to do, but nothing they hadn’t done before.

TT realized the false alarm before all of them and signaled with a wave that everything was alright. 

Well, maybe not _alright_. 

The alarm had been sounded to announce the arrival of a small ship just barely making it into port and, even now, several other row boats were making their way out to give it assistance. It wasn’t flying any flags or colors and it really didn’t even look like it was seaworthy, but there it was.

TT squinted, trying to see the passengers. Smokes appeared silently beside her, offering a telescope that TT took just as wordlessly. She unsheathed it with a snap and brought it up to her eye. It took her a moment to find the ship in her sights, but as soon as she did, she recognized the flash of white fur. 

“Oh fish,” she muttered. She tossed the telescope at Smokes, trusting her enough to catch it as she darted off. 

She knew her ship well enough to snag a free coil of rope without looking and tossed it over the side of her ship. She repelled down, kicking off when she got close to the wooden ports, and landing with a thump. She was only half-dressed, honestly, but that was more than some of the other mollys and toms on the pier. TT couldn’t really bring herself to care about either as she sprinted for the spot where the rowboats were coming into port. 

She would recognize that white fur anywhere.

“Lala!” she yelled once she got close enough. When the ships docked, she tore through the boat hands, dragging out the poor cat that she knew so well. She smothered her in a hug. “Oh, Lala.” 

The cat in her paws was hardly the cat that TT remembered. She was skinny and thin, and her fur was caked in salt from the sea air. She looked half dead too, with bags under her eyes and a thousand yard stare. Old wounds that were barely healed over wrapped her paws, and her ears were missing a few new chunks.

TT knew better than to ask questions. Wordlessly, she hoisted Lala up, helping her out of the smaller boat and onto dry land. 

“Out of the way!” she ordered. At some point another dock hand tried to take Lala from her and she hissed, snarling without meaning to, laying back her ears and baring her teeth. All she knew was that she had to get Lala back to her ship safely and nothing would be good. She was left along after that.

From there, everything was a blur. TT didn’t remember that much of it, honestly. Her crew picked up on her panic and reacted how they always did under pressure—with calm and collected coordination as they leapt to help her. In moments, TT was back below her deck, safely in her chambers and with Lala cradled in her arms.

She wasn’t even aware of the other body that was draped next to them—some tabby brown with a squashed face that she didn’t recognize. They were both sprawled on the bed before TT could say anything else, and suddenly they were alone. 

“Come on, Lala, wake up,” TT muttered, bringing a skin of fresh water to the other cat’s lips and doing her best to get her to swallow. 

A moment later, Lala was coughing and sputtering, pushing the skin away as she sat up and rubbed her face. She croaked, swallowed, and tried to talk after days of silence. 

TT just patted her chest. “Easy,” she muttered. “Don’t worry about talking. Drink. Food?” 

Lala nodded, eyes flicking around incoherently, looking but not seeing her surroundings. She clutched to the water skin then, realizing what it was and gulping it down greedily, growling when TT tried to pull it away to get her to slow down. TT let her keep it, signaling to Smokes who was hovering just outside. Smokes darted off to get food without TT having to say anything. 

The tom woke up a moment later, coughing and sputtering and much more coherent than Lala. TT handed him his own water skin, and he drank just as greedily as Lala. 

Smokes returned with food minutes later—small kegs of hardy beer, bags of salted fish and jerky, and the luxury of fresh fruit since they were in port. As soon as Smokes set the meal down, Lala and the tom pounced, devouring it in seconds. They tore into it like mad-cats, and TT didn’t dare try to get them to slow down since she very much liked having the use of her paws. 

She waited until they finished and finally took a moment to breathe and finally leaned forward and caught Lala’s eye. 

“What happened?” she asked plainly. “Where’s your crew? Your ship? You sailed in _half dead_ , for fish’s sake.” 

Lala coughed and when she started talking, her voice was still rough from sea salt and disuse. 

“Pieces of Eight,” she said, and for a moment, TT thought she was just talking about gold and silver. 

She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized who Lala was actually talking about.

“We took one of his trade routes without knowing,” Lala went on. “On accident. We didn’t even know it flew his colors.” She grabbed TT’s paw and squeezed tightly. “He burned our hideout and sank the _Wild Jelly-Bean_. We lost our crew . . . _everything_.”

“I’ll kill him,” the tom snarled, still gingerly nursing his keg of beer. “I swear on my own skull and bones. I’ll hunt him down and gut him open.” 

Lala put a paw on his shoulder, stopping him. “That’s your own death, Lulu,” she said quietly, sadly. “Don’t be rash.”

And TT finally recognized the tom. She had heard offhandedly that Lala had found another captain to help her manage her fleet and gold, but she hadn’t seen hide or hair of him besides the wanted posters hung at the different ports they stopped at. And those were hardly ever accurate. The pictures she had seen had ranged from a kitten fresh off his mother’s stomach to a grizzled tom with less teeth than sense. 

So this was Lulu. 

He was half her size and one of the least intimidating toms she had seen in a while. 

TT didn’t want to judge. 

“Is there anyone left?” she asked. 

Lala shrugged. “I don’t even know,” she said, dropping her head into her paws. “We took the life boats, got separated in a storm, and haven’t seen them since. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re dead.”

TT swallowed hard. “You’re welcome to join us. Until you get your paws under you again. And I’m more than happy to lend you a ship and crew . . . . when the time comes.” 

“The time is now!” Lulu said, pushing himself up. He stopped halfway with a hiss of pain, paw flying to his gut.

TT was on her feet in a moment, pushing him back down. She flipped open his outer jacket, grimacing at the pool of red that had soaked through his undershirt. She hadn’t even realized there were open wounds. And by the amount of blood, she guessed Lulu would need stitches.

“Easy,” she said. “I think revenge can come after healing.” 

Lulu still had his ears back but he did lay back down, groaning as he settled. TT made a mental note to tell Smokes to get the ship’s medic as soon as possible. 

Lala seemed less spitfire and angry. More tired than anything else. She slumped back against her seat, bags under her eyes, the water skin held loosely in her grip. She was staring off into space, vacant. TT would guess that her mind was a million miles away. 

She sighed and stood. “I’ll send the ship’s medic in,” she said. “You two need to rest. We can talk later.”

Lulu still seemed angry, but the gash in his stomach was keeping him down. Lala looked like she needed to sleep for a week before she could even carry a proper conversation. TT would let them recover. She didn’t want to push them and she didn’t want for them to push themselves either.

Smokes was waiting for her right outside the door, nervously pulling on a cigarette. She finished it in one pull when TT walked out, snuffing the end in a tinderbox.

“Is everything . . .” 

“Okay?” TT finished. They were whispering, not wanting the poor kittens inside to hear them. She shrugged. “I don’t even know.” 

Smokes pulled out another cigarette and lit it and continued puffing idly. “They look like they lost eight lives,” she said and snorted. “They’re half our age, should they really be out on the sea? Maybe a year or two with their paws on dry ground will do them good.” 

TT huffed a laugh and shoved Smokes shoulder, leading the way for them both back to the deck of the ship. “Both of us had our own ships by the time we were half their age,” she said. “I don’t think we have the right to judge.” 

“We didn’t still smell like milk,” Smokes said. 

TT looked pointedly at the cloud of smoke that was around them and the smoldering cigarette in her first mate’s paw. Smokes made a noise, took one last puff, and then tossed it over the side of the ship. She waved away the smoke and then leaned on the railing, looking out over the bustling dock. 

“I was never good on land,” she said as if that was an excuse. 

TT just sighed and leaned next to her. “Would we be out on the water if our life on land was any good?” 

Smokes laughed, sadly, but nodded. “It just makes me feel bad for the poor kittens like that,” she said, jerking her chin down at the deck, vaguely where Lala and Lulu were staying. “At least they have cats like you, Cap’n TT ‘Blackbones’ Long.” 

TT snorted at the nickname she carried but couldn’t help but agree. 

She knew Lala too well though. Nothing could persuade the feisty molly from a life away from her ships and gold. When she had the crew and supplies, she was firesome and bloodthirsty. The law hunted for her just as much as they hunted for any pirate, and TT had spent time in enough bars and taverns to know that toms dreamed about her and a life together. As if they somehow knew her and somehow believed that they were her type. 

It was almost laughable. 

TT was sure that with several meals of good food, a few stout drinks of alcohol, and a week or two of heavy rest the two cats would be back on their feet with just as much spitfire as before. She would worry about getting them a ship then, maybe a crew, and they would see from there. 

But that was weeks away. They could take their time, and while TT was always itching to get back out on the open ocean, she was more than willing to wait for Lala.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> look, i know i'm writing about internet cats as pirates, i get it, but it's my emotional support au at this point and i can't get it out of my head
> 
> hey look, i'm on tumblr @manuscript-or


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